Halima's Path

{{Infobox film

|name = Halima's Path

|image = Halima's Path.jpg

|caption = Film poster

|writer = Feđa Isović

|starring = Alma Prica
Olga Pakalović
Mijo Jurišić
Izudin Bajrović
Miraj Grbić
Mustafa Nadarević

|director = Arsen Anton Ostojić

|producer = Arsen Anton Ostojić
Davor Pušić
Slobodan Trninić
Janez Ković

|runtime = 93 minutes

|country = Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
Slovenia

|language = Bosnian{{cite web|url=http://www.seefilmla.org/seefest/content/halima%E2%80%99s-path|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130705013950/http://www.seefilmla.org/seefest/content/halima%E2%80%99s-path|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 July 2013|title=HALIMA'S PATH -U.S. Premiere-|publisher=SeeFilmLA|access-date=22 May 2013}}{{cite web|url=https://www.havc.hr/eng/croatian-film/croatian-film-catalogue/halima-s-path|title=Halima's Path at Havc|publisher=Havc|access-date=25 May 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121226212938/http://www.havc.hr/hrvatskifilm_eng.php?id=1920&menu_id=19&sd_id=&sm_id=11|archive-date=26 December 2012}}

|released = {{Film date|2012|10|18|df=y|Sarajevo}}

|music = Mate Matišić

}}

Halima's Path ({{langx|bs|Halimin put}}) is 2012 Bosnian-Croatian-Slovenian drama film about a grieving, but strong-willed Bosniak woman, Halima, who must track down her estranged niece in order to recover the bones of her son lost during the war in Bosnia in the 1990s.{{cite web|url=http://www.tportal.hr/showtime/film/181966/Alma-Prica-nakon-sedam-godina-opet-ispred-kamere.html|title=Alma Prica nakon sedam godina opet ispred kamere|publisher=TPortal|date=13 March 2012|accessdate=22 May 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://novinar.me/index.php/kultura/item/599-halimin-put-bosanski-lonac-svega-pomalo|title=Halimin put: bosanski lonac – svega pomalo|publisher=Novinar|date=November 2012|access-date=22 May 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130416235940/http://www.novinar.me/index.php/kultura/item/599-halimin-put-bosanski-lonac-svega-pomalo|archive-date=16 April 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tportal.hr/showtime/film/185642/Halimin-put-je-film-koji-ce-voljeti-zene.html|title='Halimin put' je film koji će voljeti žene|publisher=TPortal|date=2 April 2012|accessdate=22 May 2013}} The film was selected as the Croatian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards,{{cite web |url=http://www.hrt.hr/index.php?id=zabava-clanak&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=220495&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=872&cHash=3fbd3f30ea |title='Halimin put' u utrci za Oscara |accessdate=2013-09-13 |work=Hrvatska Radiotelevizija |archive-date=13 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613135312/https://zabava.hrt.hr/220495/halimin-put-u-utrci-za-oscara |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscars-croatia-submits-halimas-path-634740 |title=Oscars: Croatia Submits 'Halima's Path' for Best Foreign Category |accessdate=2013-09-24 |work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=23 September 2013 }} but it was not nominated.

Plot

In 1977, fifteen years before the Bosnian War ravaged their lives, Halima's (Alma Prica) niece Safija (Olga Pakalović) became pregnant by Slavomir (Mijo Jurišić), a Serb man. Beaten and ostracized by her Bosniak family, Safija gave the infant boy to the childless Halima to raise, telling Slavomir it was stillborn. Twenty-three years later, the devastating war has ended. Bodies are being identified through DNA samples and returned to families for burial. Halima's husband is found, but Mirza's bones cannot be returned to her without a blood sample. And that would have to come from Safija who ran away years ago and married Slavomir. When Halima finally locates her, Safija refuses the blood test because she is afraid her husband will discover her deception. And other deceptions could be uncovered as well, including the shocking identity of the soldier who took Halima's husband and the boy to their deaths.{{cite web|url=http://www.clevelandfilm.org/films/2013/halimas-path|title=HALIMA'S PATH (Halimin put)|publisher=ClevelandFilm|accessdate=22 May 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tportal.hr/showtime/film/206506/Prica-koja-povremeno-pati-od-velikih-izgovorenih-istina.html|title=Priča koja povremeno pati od velikih izgovorenih istina|publisher=TPortal|date=27 July 2012|accessdate=22 May 2013}}

Cast

Alma Prica – Halima
Olga Pakalović – Safija
Mijo Jurišić – Slavomir
Izudin Bajrović – Salko
Miraj Grbić – Mustafa
Mustafa Nadarević – Avdo
Emina Muftić – Nevzeta
Marko Plesnik – Mirza at age 16
Mihailo Koncar – Mirza at age 9
Daria Lorenci (credited as Daria Lorenci Flatz) – Rapka
Faketa Salihbegović (credited as Faketa Salihbegović-Avdagić) – Vezirka
Aldin Tucić – Aron
Dejan Aćimović – Jovan
Sebastian Cavazza – Planinsek
Marija Omaljev-Grbić – Waitress

Background

The screenplay was inspired by the real-life story of Bosniak couple Zahida and Muharem Fazlić from a village near Prijedor in western Bosnia whose adopted son Emir was executed in the Korićani Cliffs massacre of 1992. It took them 12 years to find their son's biological mother who kept refusing to give her blood for the DNA identification of Emir's remains.{{cite web|url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/-halimin-put---melodrama-koja-se-vrlo-predvidljivo-poigrava-osjecajima/1061888/|title=Melodrama koja se vrlo predvidljivo poigrava osjećajima|publisher=Jutarnji|date=24 October 2012|accessdate=22 May 2013}} They found that Emir's biological mother was residing in Zagreb, Croatia. Emir's biological sister resides in Vitez, Bosnia, and, unlike their mother, was completely willing to give her blood for the DNA test, should Emir's bones be found.

Zahida Fazlić died in May 2011.{{cite web|url=http://kozarac.eu/index.php/tekue-vijesti/654-poelo-snimanje-filma-prema-krajikoj-tragediji-qhalimin-putq-je-i-zahidin-put.html|title=Počelo snimanje filma prema krajiškoj tragediji: "Halimin put" je i Zahidin put|publisher=Kozarac|date=6 March 2012|accessdate=22 May 2013}}

Production

Feđa Isović wrote the first draft of the script in the middle of the 2000s decade, for his friend Benjamin Filipović, with whom he had previously worked with on the black comedy Dobro uštimani mrtvaci (Well-Tempered Corpses) in 2005. After Filipović's death on 20 July 2006, the script was handed over to Croatian director Arsen Anton Ostojić, who directed the final version of the film.

Filming began on 27 February 2012 in Pisarovina.{{cite web|url=http://www.tportal.hr/showtime/film/187290/Halimin-put-borba-je-za-istinu.html|title=Halimin put borba je za istinu|publisher=TPortal|date=11 April 2012|accessdate=22 May 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tportal.hr/showtime/film/220912/Tuzan-film-kojeg-je-radila-vesela-druzina.html|title=Holivudski glamur je za mene idealan|publisher=TPortal|date=21 October 2012|accessdate=22 May 2013}}

The movie is available with English or French subtitles.

Releases and screenings

The film was first shown at the 59th Pula Film Festival in July 2012. It had its official release on 18 October 2012 in the Bosnian cities of Sarajevo, Mostar, Zenica and Banja Luka, followed by its premiere in Zagreb, Croatia on 23 October 2012 and wide release on 25 October.{{cite web|url=http://www.tportal.hr/showtime/film/215453/Halimin-put-uskoro-u-kinima.html|title=Halimin put uskoro u kinima|publisher=TPortal|date=19 September 2012|accessdate=22 May 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tportal.hr/showtime/film/220744/Vodimo-vas-na-premijeru-filma-Halimin-put-nagcl.html|title=Vodimo vas na premijeru filma 'Halimin put'|publisher=TPortal|date=17 October 2012|accessdate=22 May 2013}}

It was screened at the 22nd Cottbus Film Festival in Germany on 9 and 10 November 2012{{cite web|url=http://www.filmfestivalcottbus.de/en/archive/2012/films/pgm_id=1279&film_id=1007&seite=6|title=Feature Film Competition – HALIMA'S PATH|publisher=FilmFestivalCottbus|date=November 2012|access-date=22 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402143143/http://www.filmfestivalcottbus.de/en/archive/2012/films/pgm_id%3D1279%26film_id%3D1007%26seite%3D6|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=dead}} and the 16th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia that same month.{{cite web|url=http://www.tportal.hr/showtime/film/225576/Prve-medunarodne-nagrade-Haliminom-putu.html|title=Prve međunarodne nagrade 'Haliminom putu'|publisher=TPortal|date=12 November 2012|accessdate=22 May 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tportal.hr/showtime/film/229094/Halimin-put-osvojio-nagradu-u-Talinu.html|title='Halimin put' osvojio nagradu u Talinu|publisher=TPortal|date=29 November 2012|accessdate=22 May 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://2012.poff.ee/eng/films/programmid.p/official-competition-eurasia/halima-s-path|title=Halima's Path|publisher=2012.poff|accessdate=22 May 2013}} It was also shown at the 35th Cairo International Film Festival in Egypt in December 2012, the 29th Mons International Film Festival d’Amour in Belgium in February 2013 and the 20th Febiofest in Prague in March 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.tportal.hr/showtime/tv/245577/Halimin-put-trijumfirao-na-festivalu-u-Belgiji.html|title='Halimin put' trijumfirao na festivalu u Belgiji|publisher=TPortal|date=25 February 2013|accessdate=22 May 2013}}

The film had its American premiere at the South East European Film Festival in Los Angeles, California on 4 May 2013.{{cite web|url=http://dnevnik.hr/showbuzz/celebrity/halimin-put-osvojio-nagradu-publike-na-seefestu-u-los-angelesu---285604.html|title=Halimin put' osvojio Nagradu publike na SEEfestu u Los Angelesu|publisher=Dnevnik|date=8 May 2013|accessdate=22 May 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/croatian-director-arsen-ostojic-brings-451660|title=Croatian Director Arsen Ostojic Brings 'Halima's Path' to Los Angeles|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=4 May 2013|accessdate=22 May 2013}} The following week, it was screened at the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival in New York City.{{cite web|url=http://www.tportal.hr/showtime/film/261250/Halimin-put-osvaja-americke-festivale.html|title='Halimin put' osvaja američke festivale|publisher=TPortal|date=13 May 2013|accessdate=22 May 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.glasistre.hr/vijesti/mozaik/-halimin-put-osvojio-nagradu-publike-u-new-yorku-405886|title="Halimin put" osvojio nagradu publike u New Yorku|publisher=Glasistre|date=12 May 2013|accessdate=22 May 2013}}

Awards

Halima's Path won several awards{{cite web|url=http://www.avaz.ba/vijesti/kultura/halimin-put-osvojio-i-14-nagradu|title="Halimin put" osvojio i 14. nagradu|publisher=Avaz|date=12 May 2013|access-date=22 May 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608052658/http://www.avaz.ba/vijesti/kultura/halimin-put-osvojio-i-14-nagradu|archive-date=8 June 2013}} in film festivals throughout the world. It won, among others, the "Grand Prix prize" at both the International Festival of Mons in Belgium{{cite news|url=http://www.slobodnaevropa.org/content/o-filmu-halimin-put/24937516.html|title=O filmu "Halimin put": Tragedija života u BiH|newspaper=Radio Slobodna Evropa |publisher=SlobodnaEvropa|date=24 March 2013|accessdate=22 May 2013 |last1=Katavić |first1=Ivan }} and at the 19th Mediterranean Film Festival in Morocco.{{cite web|url=http://www.tportal.hr/showtime/film/252407/Trijumf-Haliminog-puta-i-Olge-Pakalovic-na-festivalu-u-Maroku.html|title=Trijumf 'Haliminog puta' i Olge Pakalović na festivalu u Maroku|publisher=TPortal|date=1 April 2013|accessdate=22 May 2013}} It was also voted the best film at the Morocco festival.{{cite web|url=http://www.croatiaweek.com/halimin-put-wins-grand-prix-at-19th-mediterranean-film-festival-in-morocco/|title='Halimin Put' Wins Grand Prix at 19th Mediterranean Film Festival in Morocco|publisher=CroatiaWeek|date=4 April 2013|accessdate=22 May 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tportal.hr/showtime/film/260250/Halimin-put-trijumfirao-u-Los-Angelesu.html|title='Halimin put' trijumfirao u Los Angelesu|publisher=TPortal|date=8 May 2013|accessdate=22 May 2013}}